The present invention relates to a setting-up mechanism for tent, and more particularly to a setting-up mechanism located at a top of a folding tent to enable quick and accurate erection and collapse of the folding tent.
A folding tent includes a collapsible skeleton on which a waterproof cover is supported. Basically, the collapsible skeleton is structurally similar to a folding umbrella skeleton and has a setting-up mechanism provided at a top thereof. The setting-up mechanism mainly includes an upper hub and a lower hub, both of which have a plurality of radially extended ribs pivotally connected thereto. The upper-and the lower hub may be coupled to or separated from each other to stretch or collapse the folding tent, respectively. This type of folding tent is widely welcome because it can be easily folded and stretched, and occupies a very small volume after being folded to facilitate convenient carry on a station wagon. U.S. Pat. No. 6,354,316 granted to the same applicant of the present invention discloses a folding tent.
FIG. 1 illustrates a skeleton for a conventional folding tent. The skeleton includes a hollow upper hub 11A having a plurality of upper ribs 141 pivotally connected at inner ends to an outer wall of the upper hub, a plurality of lower ribs 143 connected at inner ends to outer ends of the upper ribs 141 via knuckles 136 that allow the lower ribs 143 to straighten from or fold to the upper ribs 141, a lower hub 12A having a plurality of stretchers 142 pivotally connected at inner ends to an outer wall of the lower hub while outer ends of the stretchers 142 are pivotally connected to the upper ribs 141 at predetermined positions, and a pull cord 21 upwardly extended from a top of the lower hub 12A through a center hole of the upper hub 11A to expose from the setting-up mechanism.
When the pull cord 21 is upwardly pulled as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 1, the lower hub 12A is moved toward the upper hub 11A until a projection 12A1 on the top of the lower hub is engaged with an inner space of the hollow upper hub 11A. At this point, the stretchers 142 are caused to stretch outward to extend the upper ribs 141 outward. The cover supported on the ribs 141, 143 is simultaneously stretched to complete the tent for use outdoors, as shown in FIG. 2. To fold or collapse the tent, the lower hub 12A must be moved out of the upper hub 11A to collapse the whole skeleton.
The above-structured conventional tent may be easily folded and extended. However, the upper and the lower hub 11A, 12A forming the setting-up mechanism are connected to one another only through engagement of the projection 12A1 on the top of the lower hub 12A with the hollow upper hub 11A when the lower hub 12A is pulled upward by the pull cord 21. Since there is not any guiding means provided between the upper and the lower hub 11A, 12A, the projection 12A1 tends to extend into the hollow upper hub 11A to a non-centered position and result in uneven stretching of the stretchers 142. The tent must therefore be collapsed and re-erected again.
Moreover, since the tent is for use outdoors, it is often subject to strong wind. As an effect of torsional force, it is possible the upper and the lower hubs 11A, 12A are unexpectedly disengaged from each other under the strong wind, resulting in a collapsed tent or even an accident. This is a serious disadvantage of the conventional folding tent.
It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a top setting-up mechanism for folding tent to eliminate the drawbacks existed in the conventional folding tent.
To achieve the above object, the top setting-up mechanism for folding tent according to the present invention includes an upper hub having a guiding tube tightly fitted therein, and a lower hub having a hollow retainer provided at an upper part thereof. The guiding tube is provided at a lower part of an inner wall surface with symmetrically arranged guiding ribs, and the retainer on the lower hub is provided on an outer wall surface with symmetrically arranged guiding grooves for engaging with the guiding ribs on the guiding tube. A pull cord is upward extended from a bottom cap beneath the lower hub through the hollow retainer, the guiding tube, and the upper hub to expose from the setting-up mechanism. When the pull cord is upward pulled, the retainer on the lower hub is guided into the guiding tube with the guiding grooves on the retainer interfering with the guiding ribs in the guiding tube, enabling the retainer to accurately move into the guiding tube fitted in the upper hub.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a top setting-up mechanism for folding tent having an upper hub, a lower hub, and a pull cord, wherein the pull cord is upward extended from a bottom of the lower hub, allowing a pull force applied on the pull cord to evenly distribute over the bottom of the lower hub for a retainer on a top of the lower hub to accurately move into a guiding tube fitted in the upper hub and thereby stretch the folding tent.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a top setting-up mechanism for folding tent having an upper hub, a lower hub, and a pull cord, wherein the pull cord may be otherwise downward extended from a top of the upper hub through the lower hub to expose from the setting-up mechanism, so that a shorter user may conveniently operate the pull cord to stretch a high folding tent from a low position.